A Voice From the Darkness
by Kyria of Delphi
Summary: AU The war has been raging for almost four years. A new ally takes the place of the fallen Ron Weasley.


This was the fourth Christmas after the Yule Ball, Hermione remembered. The fourth Christmas since the Dark Lord had returned. War was still dragging on; the Dark Lord's forces were attacking more and more Muggles to draw the Order's forces into the open.

The last year had been filled with tragedy, the losses to the Order had mounted; Hagrid, Charlie Weasley, Seamus Finnegan, the Dursleys, her own parents, plus many, many others.

Ron had left over a year ago. It was only she and Harry now, tracking the Horcruxes; the two remaining ones were going to be difficult to retrieve.

Ron had left his Wizarding Wireless set behind when he flounced out of the tent that night. It was the only thing keeping Hermione and Harry sane these days. At sunset, Hermione had turned the set on; casting privacy spells so it would not sound outside the tent. A new voice came over the airwaves to brighten the otherwise depressing evening.

"Ve von a battle today. Ve defeated fifteen of the Dark Lord's forces. If my old friends are listening, don't lose heart. Ve vill vin in the end."

"Harry, oh Harry, that was Viktor. I know it was. I wish I could talk to him, just for a minute."

"Do it, Herms. Send him a Patronus. I may send one to Ginny. Patronuses can't be tracked."

"I'm not sure I can come up with a happy memory, Harry. Maybe it is better if I just forget it."

"Herms, just remember how he looked watching you come down the stairs before the Yule Ball. That should be a happy enough memory. I know you still care about him. So did Ron, I think that was part of the reason he left. Do it, sis, for me," Harry whispered teasingly.

"Oh, all right, if you'll send one to Ginny? I know she is worried sick about you," Hermione replied.

"Okay, I'll go outside so you have some privacy. Then you can do the same for me." Harry actually grinned at her, something he hadn't done for a long time.

Hermione took only a moment to retrieve the memory of Viktor's face as she descended the stairs before the Yule Ball. Once that memory was active in her mind, she cast the Patronus. She whispered to it the words she wanted to say to Viktor. Then she sent it off to find him. The waiting was going to be hard. If he didn't answer, she would be devastated. Ten minutes she waited, before despair set in.

She went to the tent flap and called Harry back in. "Your turn now. Make it good, Harry. See if she knows what happened to her brother."

"When Vik answers you, ask him if he knows a way to get into Gringott's, so we can get the Cup."

"Right, Harry, like he's going to show up rather than send a Patronus reply. IF he answers, you mean."

"Turn around, Herms. We have company." Harry grinned once more at the sight of Viktor's face.

"Oh, oh, Viktor, oh, I have missed you so much!"

"Dushenka, come, ve vill talk outside. Harry vill excuse us, I am sure." Viktor held a hand out to Hermione as if they had only been apart for a few days instead of nearly four years.

Instead of taking his hand, she flew into his arms, hugging him tightly. He swept her outside and wrapped his fur cloak around her. He tilted her face up to his, reading the loneliness and fear in her eyes. He kissed her lightly, as he had done when she was younger. But she returned the kiss hungrily, pressing as close as she could to him. He felt when the tears started down her cheeks.

"Hush, little loff. I am here. I vill not let anyone hurt you, I haff come to help. There is news, I haff been vorking vith one of your teachers. He has found a vay to get the Dark Lord to move his Horcruxes. There has been dissension in the ranks of the Death Eaters. Bellatrix Lestrange has shown herself to be something other than the most loyal of followers. She vas found to be taking money from Muggleborns who vished to escape the Dark Lord's forces. She is now chained in the dungeon of Malfoy Manor vhile her husband retrieves the cup from their vault. The actual cup vill disappear before Rodolphus can get it to the Dark Lord, but a duplicate vill be put in its place. The most trusted of the Dark Lord's followers vill now also retrieve the Diadem from Hogvarts, leaving a duplicate in its place. I vill bring both the originals to you here. I haff been to the Chamber of Secrets and brought Harry the fangs of the Basilisk."

"But Snape killed Dumbledore, Viktor. How can he be helping us?"

"Loff, he owed a life debt to Harry's father and vas in loff with Harry's mother. He svore to bring down the monster responsible for their deaths. Dumbledore vas dying anyvay. He had mishandled one of the Horcruxes and it cursed him. Snape had made an Unbreakable Vow to obey Dumbledore no matter vhat vas required of him vhen Harry vas only a baby. Unfortunately, Dumbledore required Snape to kill him if Draco Malfoy could not. The ferret did not haff the stomach for killing, so it vas left to Snape. I haff seen the memories, it is truth."

"But how did you get mixed up in this? I thought you were working with the resistance in Bulgaria."

"Last year, I received a letter from Karkaroff, vritten just before his death; it had been in Snape's possession. He told me that the Dark Lord vished to recruit me and had offered him his life if he could vin me to their side. He refused, knowing I vould not consider it, after writing letter to me and so vas killed. He told me that Snape also owed him a life debt and he vas passing it on to me. Snape had been the one to urge Karkaroff to recruit me, they vere in room alone so letter could be vritten. Snape eventually contacted me and ve began to plot."

"But it is dangerous, Viktor. What did you two come up with?"

"Snape said I should let myself be recruited, but not really. Ve concocted a plan using Polyjuice vhere Snape vould take on my appearance and I vould take on his. He vould receive the Dark Mark, as me, and ve vould use a Muggle inwention, a semi-permanent tattoo, to make it appear that I vas truly marked. It has vorked for months now. Ve set Bellatrix up and she vas greedy enuff to take the money, so she vas disloyal."

"He-who-must-not-be-named was probably livid at that. His favourite being disloyal must have infuriated him. What you are doing is very daring. The whole house of cards could tumble around you both at any time."

"I must tell you of something I did that year vhen ve left Hogvarts. I made a blood oath with Karkaroff as vitness. Snape has the signed parchment now. It vill save your life if things go badly."

"A blood oath, Viktor, what did you do?" She had a sneaking suspicion that she knew, however.

Viktor looked uncomfortable suddenly, but took a deep breath and said, "I svore I vould not marry unless I married you, that no other voman vould bear my children. Karkaroff vas not happy about it, but knew I vould not change mind."

"Oh, Viktor, that was risky. What if I had changed over the years? What if..."

"You mean vhat if Veasley had grown up enuff to recognise his feelings for you? He never did, did he? He must have left in a hurry. The Snatchers caught him a year ago. He vas being held at Malfoy Manor. He vas Bellatrix's entertainment until he died. I am sorry, but he vould neffer haff grown up, loff." He held her close, feeling her sorrow at the death of a friend.

"I'm okay, Viktor. At least we know what happened to him now. Do you have to go back soon?"

"No, loff, I came for a reason, now that I knew vhere to find you. Haff your feelings about me changed? Ve talked about marrying back in the Triwizard year; do you still vant to marry me?"

"My feelings haven't changed, Viktor. Why? Have yours? Or does your blood oath preclude that?"

"No, loff. I vant Harry to read the binding, tonight. Then I must return. Tomorrow or the next day I vill bring the Horcruxes to you to be destroyed. Ve vill haff big vedding once the var is ofer, but I vant the binding done for just us now. Harry is closest to brother either of us has. He should do it."

"You really want us to be married tonight? That is the best Christmas present ever. Yes, you crazy man. Harry will think we have lost our minds, but who cares." She kissed him again, passionately.

He reached under his shirt to pull a small bag on a thong out. Inside the bag were two tiny pouches. "Vhen your parents vere killed, I arranged funerals. I brought their vedding rings to you, in blue pouch. Vhite pouch is rings I bought for us. And there is chain for you to vear parents' rings around neck." He slipped a rose gold small band out of the white pouch. She took the larger yellow gold band to slip on his finger when the time came.

"Okay, let's do this. Harry is going to freak."

They entered the tent to find Harry reading on his bed. "You were right, Herms. Gin was worried sick. And Ron is dead. He got captured. You two look different, somehow. What's going on?"

Viktor spoke up after taking Hermione's hand in his, "Ve vant you to read a binding for us tonight."

Harry's eyes got huge in his thin face. "You want to get married?" he squeaked.

Both Viktor and Hermione answered, "Yes."

"Oh, wow, that is so awesome. I have no idea how to do it, though." Harry was rapidly getting happier about their request.

Hermione spoke up then. "We shouldn't use the magical binding spells. They might show up in the Ministry records. Muggle ceremonies are out because you're not ordained. I know, it hasn't been used in years, but there is hand-fasting. All you'd have to do, Harry, is sign that you witnessed our hand-fasting. We would sign as well. Will that work, Viktor?"

"Yes, it is the old way in Bulgaria, as vell. Is just as legal as full binding. Harry, you stand there. Ve say our vords and you ask if ve are sure. Ve answer and you say everything is in order and sign parchment."

"Okay, that works for me. You start off, Viktor," Harry said.

"I, Viktor Nicolai Krum, take Hermione Jean Granger as my lawful vife from this day forward."

"I, Hermione Jean Granger, take Viktor Nicolai Krum as my lawful husband from this day forward."

"Are you both sure about this?" Harry asked as Viktor slipped Hermione's ring onto her finger. Hermione had a bit of bother getting Viktor's ring on his finger.

They looked into each other's eyes and answered, "Yes, completely sure."

Harry's voice took on a tone of happiness neither had heard before. "Then I declare you hand-fasted. Congratulations!" He hugged Hermione and shook Viktor's hand. Then he wrote out the parchment declaring the two married as of December 19th, 1998. They each signed it and Hermione put it into her bag.

Harry suddenly blushed bright red, saying, "I, uh, guess you two would like some privacy." He grabbed his jacket and started off out of the tent.

"Vait, Harry. Is not necessary for you to leave. You stay here. I brought another tent. Ve vill be over there. I vill cast spells so ve can hear you, but you vill hear nothing from us."

Just then, a chirping came from Viktor coat pocket.

Hermione almost laughed. "You have a cell phone? Oh, right. Muggle technology, the Death Eaters would never figure it out. Go on, answer it. Your co-conspirator must want you for something big."

"I vill be back in a minute, loff." Viktor pulled the phone from his pocket and ducked out of the tent.

Hermione looked at Harry and began to shake. "Harry, I am married. Two hours ago I was wondering how we were going to get through another Christmas. Oh, wow, this is a lot to take in. Oh, here, Viktor brought us these." She reached into the pocket of Viktor's cloak and handed Harry the Basilisk fangs.

"He got into the Chamber to get these? What is going on with Viktor?"

"There is actually a lot going on. But I think he may have found another Parselmouth and recorded the words or hisses or sounds. He is risking his life doing what he is doing. I'll explain everything to you later. I promise."

Viktor stepped back into the tent with a smile on his face. "I must go for a bit, but I vill be back shortly. I vill bring important things. Yes, I did make sound recording of another Parselmouth. It vorked, didn't it? Back soon, loff."

As he Disapparated away outside the tent, Hermione sagged onto her bed. She was looking at the ring on her finger and shaking her head.

"He said they had access to the last two Horcruxes. That makes three we have to destroy. The locket still hasn't been destroyed. We can use the fangs on one of them. Harry, he is a spy, supposedly part of you-know-who's organization. It worries me. We were so lucky last Christmas, getting away from the snake, and then again when we got away from the snatchers. It was a very good thing that only Draco was home when the snatchers brought us to Malfoy Manor. I am so glad I had that phial of Bubotuber Pus to disable the snatchers, and that you disarmed Draco. We have been very, very lucky, Harry. I hope it continues. I hope nothing happens to Viktor."

Two hours later, Viktor appeared again, laden with a cloth bag that contained the last two Horcruxes, and the Sword of Gryffindor.

Harry's eyes got huge in his face as he realised that he was now much closer to his goal. Hermione took one of the fangs and pierced the cup with it. Viktor took the Sword of Gryffindor and destroyed the locket. That left the diadem, unless Riddle had made another Horcrux out of the snake, Nagini.

Hermione used her miniaturising spell on the Sword and put it carefully into her bag. Then she and Viktor hugged Harry and went to their tent which Viktor had set up next to the one she had been sharing with Harry. As Viktor was arranging things, he slapped his forehead and swore in Bulgarian.

"Come vith me, loff. I forgot to giff Harry the Pensieve vith the memories. Ve vill need to answer his questions after he sees the memories I brought."

He grabbed up his jacket and pulled something out of the pocket. It was a travelling chest with places for the small pensieve to rest and slots for memory phials, of which there were many.

He grabbed Hermione's hand and ran back to the other tent. Harry looked up curiously when they entered.

"You know how to use a pensieve, Harry? I haff brought you a small one vith memories from Dumbledore, Snape, and others. You need to see them all. I vill add my own memories, if necessary. The earliest are in the Gryffindor phials." At Viktor's urging, Hermione reached into the box and pulled a phial out and emptied it into the pensieve.

Harry lowered his face to the bowl and was suddenly in the house at Godric's Hollow. All four of the Marauders sat in the library, talking. Lily was in the rocking chair, putting a baby Harry to sleep.

James looked at his friends and shrugged, his words sent a cold chill through Harry, though, "Look mates, Dumbles said we have to choose a secret keeper and make the house unplottable. He suggested it be Sirius, but everyone knows how close we are. Moony reminded me that he is a distinct risk around the full moon. So, that leaves you, Wormtail. You have the job, mate. Now let's get to it."

Harry watched in shock as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin did the hard work of making the house unplottable and James assisted Pettigrew with the Secret Keeper spells.

The next scene was morning. Snape snarling at someone who was staggering out of a room in the dungeons at Hogwarts.

"I do not appreciate having to nursemaid you on the nights your affliction takes over, Lupin. I am working on improving the Wolf Bane Potion, so that you can slink off and hide without a keeper on those nights."

"Good morning to you, too, Severus."

Dumbledore had entered the scene just then with a look of profound shock on his face.

"James and Lily are dead. Come, we must see to Harry. Sirius duelled with Pettigrew this morning and has now disappeared."

"No! Not dead! You promised you'd keep them – her - safe." Snape's voice was anguished beyond belief.

These were most likely Lupin's memories.

Harry raised his face from the bowl. Hermione restored the memories to the phial and handed him the next one.

Harry simply gulped and looked uncomfortable before diving into the next set of memories. When he had viewed the entire run of phials, he looked exhausted.

"Snape has really been on our side this whole time, hasn't he? And that is who you are working with, isn't it Viktor? How did the two of you manage to avoid you taking the Dark Mark?

"Polyjuice, Harry. And Viktor is using a semi-permanent Muggle tattoo to simulate it. He is acting as Snape's assistant now. We'll have inside information on everything. This could be over much sooner than we thought."

"There are two Horcruxes left, the diadem and his snake. Dumbledore thinks that possibly I may be an inadvertent Horcrux, myself; that a piece of Riddle's soul tore and lodged in my scar. I may have to give myself up to him so that he can kill me. I won't die, that's the sneaky part. Riddle, by taking my blood to regenerate, made himself a Horcrux for me. I won't die, but the last separate piece of his soul will. And the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, won't work against me because of a freak happening. Draco couldn't kill Dumbledore after he had disarmed him, that's where Snape came in. When we were taken by the snatchers to Malfoy Manor and we escaped…"

"You disarmed Draco. The wand changed allegiances. Oh, Harry, the wand won't work against its own master."

Viktor muttered a curse in Bulgarian suddenly. "Then the Dark Lord vill try to kill Severus. He has been unhappy that the vand is not vorking as it should. I must varn him."

"Send a Patronus, Viktor. Tell him to come talk to me," Harry urged.

"You vill not kill him? Yes, I see you are serious. I vill send to him. Ve vill vait vith you. I imagine my vife vill vant to question him as vell."

Viktor looked at Hermione, grinned and cast his Patronus, a great sea Eagle. "Tell Severus, only if he is alone, that he is required at the place you were conjured. Go now."

Within three minutes, Severus Snape appeared in the tent.

"I am here. The Dark Lord is determining Bellatrix's fate, so we were all sent away. Good grief, Potter, haven't you two been eating? You look like hell."

Harry spoke first, "Professor, I have something to tell you after seeing the memories in that box. Dumbledore was disarmed by Draco that night on the Astronomy Tower. Last spring, I disarmed Draco when Hermione and I escaped Malfoy Manor. The Deathstick has changed allegiances. Riddle will probably think you are its master since you killed him. He will not understand that you merely delivered the fatal curse, but Draco was the master of the wand until I disarmed him. Is that not so?"

"Yes, you have judged his limited powers of understanding correctly, Potter. This means things must move faster. Have you dealt with all the Horcruxes except Nagini?"

Hermione answered him, "No, Professor, the diadem still needs to be destroyed. And it is Madam Krum, now."

"Madame Krum, would you care to learn a new spell in honour of your marriage? Very well, the three of you, come outside and bring the diadem." He held the flap of the tent open so they all could come outside.

"Potter, place the diadem on that rock. Now cast a shielding spell on the grass around the rock."

When that was done, Snape pointed his wand at the diadem and intoned, "Accendo Prodigium"

As soon as the diadem melted he said, "Accendo desino!"

And the fire died away.

Only Hermione spoke, "Fiendfyre. And the counter-spell. Thank you, Professor."

Snape merely shrugged his shoulders and led the way back into the tent. "Now, that leaves only Nagini. I am glad you worked out that no one can destroy more than one Horcrux. We will simply have to find someone else to kill the snake. If I read things correctly, he will most likely punish Bellatrix in the morning. We will need to bring in another candidate who is as resistant to the Dark as you three have been. Perhaps Longbottom, will you contact him, Potter? He deserves a hand in the dénouement. I must return to the Manor now. Viktor, you will send me word if Longbottom agrees to take part, won't you?"

"I vill do so, Severus. Ve are going to be staying in tent next to this one. Vill our handfasting show up in the records of the Dark Lord?"

"No, he is unconcerned about marriages at the moment. Once this is over, the handfasting will be duly recorded in the Ministry files. I will bring back an appropriate beverage to celebrate the nuptials when I return. Some better food as well. These two look as if they have been fleeing for their very lives for some time."

He slightly inclined his head at the three and Disapparated away with no more ado.

Harry volunteered to contact Neville, so Viktor and Hermione went back to their tent.

In the tent, Viktor conjured a large copper bathtub for Hermione, complete with warm water, bath salts, shampoo, soap, and fluffy towels. He warmed the tent so she would not get cold. She stripped off in front of him and eased into the tub while he did cleaning spells on her clothes. Then he knelt by the tub to wash her hair. He talked to her the whole time.

"Loff, ve haff married, but I vill not take your virginity until the Dark Lord is defeated. Is too dangerous, if you vere pregnant vith my child, and I died. Much as I do loff you, this is vhat ve must do. Please do not be upset vith me. There are other vays we can show loff to each other."

"Viktor, if you died, I would want your child to comfort me. But I won't argue with you. These next days are going to be difficult enough without morning sickness. I am so very glad I sent you that Patronus tonight."

"Come, get out of tub and let me dry you off. There is varm robe here for you to vear."

He wrapped her in the magically warmed robe and dried her hair with a Charm. He rubbed lotion into her cold reddened hands and feet. She still shivered, but not from cold any longer. His hands were rubbing her back and her neck under the robe. The sash to the robe fell to the floor as he carried her to the fur strewn bed in the centre of the tent.

"Moya lubimaya, dushenka, your skin is so soft. Kiss me, Hermione. Wrap your arms around me," he whispered as they fell onto the bed.

"Ah, Vitya, that feels wonderful. Your hands are so warm. Kiss me."

Without actually making love that night, the bookworm and the professional athlete found many ways to please each other before falling asleep in each other's arms.

Morning found the newly married pair having tea on their bed, when a voice called from outside the tent, "Hey, you two lovebirds, I have company." Harry was laughing outside the tent flap.

Viktor opened the flap and invited Harry and Neville inside for tea.

Hermione blushed, but gave Harry a stern look and said, "Don't even go there, Harry James Potter, we did NOT consummate the binding yet. Get your mind out of whatever gutter you were heading for. Hello, Neville, how are you? You do know my husband, don't you? Viktor, this is Neville Longbottom. Do you want tea, or shall I just upend the pot over Harry's head?"

"Oh, tea please, Hermione. We actually brought some food, courtesy of Snape. Nice to see you again, Viktor. Harry has been telling me some really strange stuff. I understand you need me to act like I have decided to join you-know-who's forces so I can get close enough to the snake to kill it. What exactly am I supposed to kill it with?" Neville asked as Hermione handed him a cup of tea.

Hermione answered him succinctly, "I have the Sword of Gryffindor in my bag. It should suffice, shouldn't it, Vitya?"

"It vill vork perfectly, loff. If we get ready to go as soon as ve hear from Severus, Neffille vill get to see the voman that tortured his parents become the latest wictim of the Dark Lord."

"Harry vill valk in after us, offer himself up to the Dark Lord, supposedly die, but not really. Then Neffille must voice a vish to join the Dark Lord. Vhen he does that, the Dark Lord vill free his snake from her cage. Neffille vill take the Sword of Gryffindor and cut off head of snake. The rest of us vill be casting a holding spell on Dark Lord. Harry vill rise up and duel vith him. Harry vill vin because Deathstick vill not kill its master. Hermione vill be there as my vife."

Neville asked a simple question, "Why will the wand seemingly kill Harry the first time and not the second?"

Viktor looked at his bride and gestured for her to answer Neville's question.

"Neville, Harry himself is a Horcrux that Riddle does not even know about. A piece of Riddle's soul lodged in Harry's skin the night his parents were killed. That is his scar. The wand will kill the only part of Harry that isn't really Harry the first time it is used. The second time Riddle attempts to use it against Harry, it will refuse to send the curse. We are hoping the curse rebounds on Riddle."

"Oh, that is extremely interesting. Where did you find all that information? A book?"

"Yes, Viktor brought me the one text on Wand Lore ever written. Gregorovitch wrote it the year after he lost the wand to Grindlewald. I read it this morning."

Viktor was quietly sending a Patronus to Snape just outside the tent while the others talked.

The answer came back rapidly, "Now, bring them now, Viktor. He is ready to dispatch Bellatrix."

Viktor gathered his little group together and Disapparated with them to Malfoy Manor. Viktor took Harry's arm as if the boy was his prisoner. Hermione followed obediently in her husband's wake.

Marching into the room, Viktor called out, "My Lord, I bring you a new recruit and a prize."

He threw Harry to the floor in front of the Dark Lord. Harry stood up and faced Riddle unafraid.

As expected, Riddle turned his attention to Harry, cast the killing curse and both he and Harry dropped to the floor. In only a few seconds Riddle got back up. He gestured for Snape to check Harry.

"He is dead, my Lord. You have killed the last undesirable." Snape dragged the body to the back of the room behind some chairs.

Riddle turned to Viktor again and spoke, "You said something about a new recruit?"

"Yes, my Lord, Neville Longbottom has requested to become an acolyte."

Neville stepped forward and bowed low before Riddle.

"Ah, yes, young Longbottom, you are just in time to see me deal with a disloyal follower. This should interest you; Bellatrix Lestrange was the one who tortured your parents into insanity. Bring her out, Rodolphus."

Rodolphus Lestrange dragged his wife, kicking and screaming into the room, where he threw her to the floor.

Again, Riddle cast a killing curse and the woman lay dead. Riddle then released the snake, Nagini, from its bubble-like cage to consume the body of Bellatrix Lestrange. As the snake moved toward the lifeless body, Snape, Hermione, Viktor and several others in the room turned their wands on Riddle, casting myriad immobilisation spells. Neville took the Sword of Gryffindor from the sling on his back and decapitated the snake to Riddle's horror.

Harry stood up, came forward and said, "Your time is over, Tom Riddle. You couldn't kill me tonight because in your arrogance and short-sightedness, you made yourself into a Horcrux for me when you took my blood to regenerate. And the Elder wand will not work for you because you have never been its master. Snape was never the master of the wand, either. Only the person who disarmed Dumbledore was the master of it. And I disarmed that person over a year ago. Release the spells holding him. This fight will end it once and for all."

All of Viktor's allies turned their wands on the few remaining Death Eaters in the room. Harry and Riddle circled the room, wands at the ready. Harry kept up a running commentary. Riddle said little.

"You lost all your Horcruxes, Riddle. Including the one you didn't know about. We destroyed them. Your Death Eaters were infiltrated. The really loyal ones have been picked off over the last year by spies in your midst. You just killed the most rabid supporter you ever had because she was set up by Krum and his accomplices. Don't you have anything to say?"

"Viktor and Severus are loyal to me. Viktor's teammates are loyal. You are a liar and a fool."

Harry laughed, an oddly hollow sound in the room. He answered, "Oh, I am not the liar here. I have never deluded myself about my priorities. I have been on a quest, Riddle. Aided and abetted by almost everyone in this room: Snape, Viktor, Hermione, and the rest of the Bulgarian Quidditch team. When you killed the Malfoys last summer, even some of your most loyal supporters turned away from you. Rodolphus Lestrange saw how completely mad his wife had become. He came to us after you killed his younger brother. You have been surrounded by spies. Enough! "

"You lie. Such a stupid boy. Telling lies to the most powerful wizard in the world. You shall be punished!"

"I don't think so. _Accio Elder Wand_! Take him, Rodolphus. The Aurors are waiting outside."

Harry held the Elder Wand for a moment, before handing it to Snape. "Put it back in Dumbledore's tomb, please, Professor.

Riddle tried to break away from Rodolphus and twenty wands in the room cast a variety of spells on him. He fell to the floor dead.

Harry turned to the others and asked, "Who cast the killing curse?"

Severus Snape laughed bitterly, and answered, "I did, Harry. It was only fitting. He killed your mother, so I killed him."

It was over. Riddle was dead. The Order had survived. Hermione was married to Viktor. Almost everything was right with the world again. Only one thing needed to be corrected. Harry needed Ginny, so Hermione sent a Patronus to her friend, who came straight away. Ginny ran into Malfoy Manor and jumped into Harry's arms. He was kissing her deeply as Viktor and Hermione stepped into the Floo, saying 'Viktor Krum Residence, Sofia, Bulgaria'.

He whispered to her as they whirled on their way, "Var is over now, ve make loff tonight."


End file.
